"Pledge to America" Unveiled by Republicans"
"Pledge to America" Unveiled by Republicans" CBS News has obtained a final draft of House Republicans' legislative agenda for the next Congress, a 21-page "Pledge to America" that they will formally unveil Thursday morning at a Virginia hardware store.
"The need for urgent action to repair our economy and reclaim our government for the people cannot be overstated," the introduction says. It continues: "With this document, we pledge to dedicate ourselves to the task of reconnecting our highest aspirations to the permanent truths of our founding by keeping faith with the values our nation was founded on, the principles we stand for, and the priorities of our people.
This is our Pledge to America." They're not prominent, but social issues are addressed in the House Republicans' "Pledge to America," which GOP lawmakers in the House formally unveiled Thursday. And a social conservative group is applauding the move and says their efforts may have helped push the language into the document. The 21-page document does include a "pledge to honor families, traditional marriage, life, and the private and faith-based organizations that form the core of our American values." Lower in the document, there's a call for opposition to the use of taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions, which is tied to the larger issue of overhauling the new health care reform law.
Several Republican sources said there was no intention to directly address social issues because the electorate is so heavily focused on jobs and spending. But the language was added, according to a GOP source, after conservative Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana argued that social issues should be included in the document representing the agenda of House Republicans. The Susan B. Anthony List on Thursday applauded the release of the document.
"Today, in its 'Pledge to America' the pro-life Republican House leadership has echoed the voices of pro-life Americans calling for a Congress that will protect Life. The pro-life legislative priorities included in their Pledge reinforce Republican Party unity as we approach these critical mid-term elections," said Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser, in a statement. "The Susan B. Anthony List looks forward to mobilizing our grassroots network of over 280,000 pro-life Americans in support of the strongly pro-life GOP leadership and new members in order to pass this and other commonsense pro-life legislation right away in the next Congress," added Dannenfelser.
The group, also known as SBA, is a non-profit organization with a mission to advance politicians who oppose abortion.
SBA says that in the weeks leading up to the release of the Pledge, they mobilized more than 10,000 people to petition House GOP leaders to make sure abortion language was included in the document.
For a breakdown of the document, check out "Pledge to America: The New Republican Agenda," by CBS News Senior Political Producer Jill Jackson.
Below are some highlights, and the full document is at the bottom.
Jobs: - Stop job-killing tax hikes - Allow small businesses to take a tax deduction equal to 20 percent of their income - Require congressional approval for any new federal regulation that would add to the deficit -
Repeal small business mandates in the new health care law. Cutting Spending: - Repeal and Replace health care - Roll back non-discretionary spending to 2008 levels before TARP and stimulus (will save $100 billion in first year alone) -
Establish strict budget caps to limit federal spending going forward - Cancel all future TARP payments and reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Reforming Congress: - Will require that every bill have a citation of constitutional authority -
Give members at least 3 days to read bills before a vote Defense: - Provide resources to troops - Fund missile defense - Enforce sanctions in Iran GOP Pledge to America Final
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"The need for urgent action to repair our economy and reclaim our government for the people cannot be overstated," the introduction says. It continues: "With this document, we pledge to dedicate ourselves to the task of reconnecting our highest aspirations to the permanent truths of our founding by keeping faith with the values our nation was founded on, the principles we stand for, and the priorities of our people.
This is our Pledge to America." They're not prominent, but social issues are addressed in the House Republicans' "Pledge to America," which GOP lawmakers in the House formally unveiled Thursday. And a social conservative group is applauding the move and says their efforts may have helped push the language into the document. The 21-page document does include a "pledge to honor families, traditional marriage, life, and the private and faith-based organizations that form the core of our American values." Lower in the document, there's a call for opposition to the use of taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions, which is tied to the larger issue of overhauling the new health care reform law.
Several Republican sources said there was no intention to directly address social issues because the electorate is so heavily focused on jobs and spending. But the language was added, according to a GOP source, after conservative Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana argued that social issues should be included in the document representing the agenda of House Republicans. The Susan B. Anthony List on Thursday applauded the release of the document.
"Today, in its 'Pledge to America' the pro-life Republican House leadership has echoed the voices of pro-life Americans calling for a Congress that will protect Life. The pro-life legislative priorities included in their Pledge reinforce Republican Party unity as we approach these critical mid-term elections," said Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser, in a statement. "The Susan B. Anthony List looks forward to mobilizing our grassroots network of over 280,000 pro-life Americans in support of the strongly pro-life GOP leadership and new members in order to pass this and other commonsense pro-life legislation right away in the next Congress," added Dannenfelser.
The group, also known as SBA, is a non-profit organization with a mission to advance politicians who oppose abortion.
SBA says that in the weeks leading up to the release of the Pledge, they mobilized more than 10,000 people to petition House GOP leaders to make sure abortion language was included in the document.
For a breakdown of the document, check out "Pledge to America: The New Republican Agenda," by CBS News Senior Political Producer Jill Jackson.
Below are some highlights, and the full document is at the bottom.
Jobs: - Stop job-killing tax hikes - Allow small businesses to take a tax deduction equal to 20 percent of their income - Require congressional approval for any new federal regulation that would add to the deficit -
Repeal small business mandates in the new health care law. Cutting Spending: - Repeal and Replace health care - Roll back non-discretionary spending to 2008 levels before TARP and stimulus (will save $100 billion in first year alone) -
Establish strict budget caps to limit federal spending going forward - Cancel all future TARP payments and reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Reforming Congress: - Will require that every bill have a citation of constitutional authority -
Give members at least 3 days to read bills before a vote Defense: - Provide resources to troops - Fund missile defense - Enforce sanctions in Iran GOP Pledge to America Final
Source